14-00000

104-10111-10076 a 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
ae SECRET
a. ne @

faa > . (When Filled In)

. . RECOMMENDATION FOR HONOR OR MERIT AWARD
(Submit In triplicate - see HR 20-37)

SECTION A PERSONAL DATA

T. EMP.SER.NO.. NAME OF PERSON RECOMMENDED (Last ,First Middle) 3. POSITION TITLE 4. GRADE |5. sp
059090 Christ David Lamar /AP/ORD/DD/S&T] 16 -R
6- OFFICE OF ASSIGNMENT 7.OFFICE EXT. (If bqs)] g. STATION
ORD 3486 | x [weavousaters | | Fiero (Specify location)
. WOME ADDRESS (No.,St..City,State,ZIP Code) 10. HOME PHONE Ti. CITIZENSHIP AND HOW ACQUIRED
6212 Maiden: Lane, Bethesda, Md., 20034 656-2127 USA, Birth -
12. RECOMMENDED AWARO [t3- 1tF RETIRING. DATE OF RETIREMENT [14- - POSTHUMOUS .
Intelligence Medal of Merit 30 November 1970 | [vs [x]
15. NAME OF NEXT OF KIN 16. RELATIONSHIP |[17. HOME ADDRESS (No..St.,City,Stete,ZIP Code) |i. HOME PHO
Wilma M. Christ Wife 6212 Maiden Lane, Bethesda,Md. |656- 212%
SECTION B ; RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD FOR HEROIC ACTION OR ACCEPTANCE OF HAZARD ,

p19. WERE YOU AN EVEWITNESS TO THE ACT | WERE YOU AN EYEWITNESS TO THE ACT fia. WERE VOU AN EvewitTNEss To THE act = | [res | | wo

PERSONNEL IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY OR WHO ASSISTED IN ACT OR SHARED 1N SAME HAZARD:

ce _ ae eo

LIST ANY OF THE ABOVE PERSONS GIVEN AN AWARD OR RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD FOR PARTICIPATING IN ACT:
24. FULL NAME 25. AWARD RECOMMENDED

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH ACT WAS PERFORMED: .
26. LOCATION : 28. TIME OF DAY

RETURNTO Gia
Background Use Only

_Bo Not Reproduca

a CC
SECTION C RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT, SERVICE, OR PERFORMANCE

33. DO YOU HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE, SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE [ves [| fuo |

34. OFFICIAL ASSIGNMENT OF PERSON RECOMMENDED AT TIME OF SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE
Chief, Applied Physics Division
35. COMPONENT OR STATION (Designation and location)

Office of Research and Development
36. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ASSIGNED POSITION.- oe

29. PREVAILING GEOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS AND OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED

Direct efforts of 10 professional research and development, scientists.

37. INCLUSIVE DATES FOR WHICH RECOMMENDED [38. ASSIGNMENT COMPLETED NOW IN SAME OR RELATED ASSIGNMENT

Nov. 1950. Nov. 1970 [x [ws | [w | ps id

PERSONNEL WHO ASSISTED OR CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE
40. FULL NAME ; 41. ORGN. TITLE 43. OFFICE OF ASSIGNMENT

LIST ANY OF THE ABOVE PERSONS GIVEN AN AWARD OR RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PERFORMANCE
45. TYPE OF AWARD

Form 600 use erevious enitios . 7 7 SECRET a ee —_ . . Lf

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SECTION D ° HARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

Aword for Heroic Action or Acceptance of Hozord: Was act voluntary? Describe why oct was outstanding, and if It wos more than normally expected.
Explain, why, and how. If an ceriol er marine operation, describe type and position of craft, crew position of individual, and oll unusual circumstances.
Indicate results ‘of the act. Enclose unclassified citation.

Award for Achievement, Service, of Performance: State character of service during period for which recommended. (Give complete description of admin-
istrative, technical, or professional duties and responsibilities if not covered in Section C; include dotes of assignment and relief.) What did the Individual
do that merits the award? Why was this outstanding when compared to others of like grade ond experience in similar positions or circumstances? If
appropriate, include production records and assistance rendered by other persons or units. What obstacles were encountered or overcome? Indicate re-
sults of achievement, service, or performance. Include reference to Fitness Reports, Letters of Commendation, or other documentation already on file which

supports this recommendation. Enclose unclassified citation. . .

-- oe
.

Mr. David L. Christ is recommended for the Intelligence Medal
of Merit in recognition of his career of especially meritorious service
which has contributed significantly to the missions of CIA.

_ Mr. Christ joined CIA in November of 1950 as the first research
and development electronics engineer in what has evolved as TSD. He
created an Applied Physics Branch setting high standards for himself
and the R&D engineers he recruited. His accomplishments included the
anti-disturbance mine and the time pencil, both of which are still
Agency stock items, and an IR beacon. As a pioneer in audio surveillance
devices, he. recognized very early that the use of systems concept
would be most productive in meeting Agency needs. As part of his
development program, his efforts led to the establishment of specialized
contract facilities such as Gaird: Atomic) which in 1953 was the first
Agency source of transistorized equipment. wi

In early 1957, Mr. Christ was made Chief of what is now the Audio
Operations Branch of TSD and, realizing that a drastic upgrading of
the caliber of field technicians was required, began aggressively re-
cruiting and training graduate engineers. His high standards and
efforts in this area are reflected in the fact that the majority of
TSD Audio mid-management personnel were recruited by him. In September
1960, he and two associates were apprehended while on an operation in

E>] continveo on ATTACHED SHEET

46. ENCLOSURES (List individually) 1F ORIGINATOR tS NOT AN EYEWITNESS OR DOES NOT HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE -ACT
OR PERFORMANCE. ATTACH AFFIDAVITS OF EYEWITNESS OR INDIVIDUALS HAVING PERSONAL KNOWLEOGE OF THE FACTS.

1. PROPOSED CITATION.

RECOMMENDATION INITIATED BY
ace . Ghar

Robert M. Chapman

PLOYEE MAKING RECOM: “[49. DATE

48. tw € ND SIGNAWY! — OF
SENT ae
Director of Research and
Development

9 NOV 1970

TUTLE AND SIGNATURE

Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director
for Science and Technology
TITLE AND SIGNATURE .
Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director
for Science and Technolog
TITLE AND SIGNATURE :
Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director
for Science and. Technology

DATE

HEAD OF. CAREER SERVICE
_ (Career service of nominee) :

DATE

DATE


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Section D (Cont'd)

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a denied area.’ His exemplary conduct and personal courage
during the resulting two and one-half years incarceration
permitted the maintenance of a very difficult cover situation
and successful extraction of all three men,

Upon his return, Mr. Christ joined the Office of Research
and Development soon after its inception, assisting in the
definition and establishment of the various divisions. Under
his early guidance, the over-the-horizon radar program developed
finally into an operational system. His sensitivity to the
needs of Agency operational elements based upon his experience,
his technical expertise and his dedicated desire to broaden
the technological capabilities of the Agency precipitated |
his development of a major coordinated program of accelerated
R&D to provide the clandestine services with a number of new
audio surveillance techniques of which the laser probe is an .
example, and his conception and direction of the Microtechnology
R&D program. Within this program, the success of the micro-
power transistor led to the award of Medals of Merit to two
scientists under his supervision. Other progeny of the micro-
technology concept are three novel intelligence gathering
systems to function in the air, in space, and in the sea .
environments, one of which is approaching operational status.
Mr. Christ has also been responsible for pioneering efforts
in the area of Audio Surveillance Countermeasures, first pro-
posing the application of computers to the problem.

Mr. Christ's imaginative leadership and inspiration to
those working with him, his broad scope of interest, his resource-
fulness, and philosophical devotion to the cause of the Agency
and the United States have provided this Agency with an individua)
whose unique efforts and accomplishments over his 20 years
service are worthy of this recognition.

